WA State City: Home of the Next Second Amendment Sanctuary?

In response to Washington State’s Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s push for anti-gun laws – including a ban on semi-automatic rifles – Spokane Valley Councilmember Caleb Collier says he wants the city to be declared a Second Amendment Sanctuary.

“My proposal that Spokane Valley considers becoming a Second Amendment Sanctuary City is a work in progress,” Collier said. “The heart of the proposal is to protect the Constitutional rights of the citizens of Spokane Valley.”

Although Collier’s proposal is in the early stages, if it’s voted on and approved by the council, it would simply be a declaration. Their ordinance wouldn’t stop state or federal officials from enforcing laws that trump local laws.

According to Dave Workman of the Bellevue-based Second Amendment Foundation, no other city in Washington has declared itself a Second Amendment Sanctuary City.

In 2015, counties in Oregon and Maryland declared themselves Second Amendment Sanctuaries. Those behind the declarations applied the idea of sanctuary cities for illegal immigrants to the Second Amendment.

“We wanted to copy that ordinance for gun rights,” said Rob Taylor, who worked to pass the “Second Amendment Preservation Measure” in Oregon last year. “If the state can pass a law that says we won’t uphold federal immigration laws, then we should be able to pass a law that says we will not spend state funds on going against the Second Amendment.”

The “Second Amendment Preservation Measure” passed in Coos County, Oregon with more than 60 percent of voters in approval.

Beth Baumann is a public relations professional in Northern Idaho. Beth is a campaign veteran who has worked on numerous state and federal elections. In 2014, she was the Communications Assistant for the American Conservative Union, where she helped plan and execute media relations strategies for CPAC 2014. She is an avid Second Amendment supporter and advocate and loves fishing in her free time. You can follow her on Twitter at @eb454.